Rahul Gandhi’s Ayodhya visit ‘politically motivitated’: VHP

New Delhi: Vishwa Hindu Parishad and a section of saints of Ayodhya termed Rahul Gandhi’s Hanuman Garhi ‘darshan’ on Friday “politically motivated” insisting it would not yield any result without ‘darshan’ of Ramlala.

Earlier in the day, the Congress Vice President offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi Temple but stayed away from the disputed Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site.

“The Darshan of Hanumanji is incomplete without paying obeisance to Lord Ram. Has Rahul not paid obeisance to Ramlala to appease the Muslims? His family members had also done incomplete ‘darshan’ and the results are visible,” VHP spokesman Sharad Sharma said.

Member Ram Janmbhoom Trust, Mahant Suresh Das of Digambar Akhara said Rahul having ‘darshan’ of Hanuman Garhi was “politically motivated”.

“Before praying to Hanumanji, he forgot to bow before his Lord Ram,” he added. Similarly, Chairman, Ram Janm Bhoomi Trust, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das’ heir Mahant Kamal Nayan Das said ‘darshan and pujan’ is right of every Hindu but it yields positive results when rituals are duly followed

“Hanumanji fulfils desire of those who pray before him but he also sees his behaviours towards Lord Ram, who he used to follow,” he said. In a bid to woo Hindu voters in 2017 Assembly polls in UP, Rahul offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi Temple, becoming the first member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to visit Ayodhya since the demolition of the disputed structure in 1992.

Hanuman Garhi is about a kilometre from the Ram Temple at the disputed Ramjanmbhoomi-Babri Masjid site but Rahul stayed away from the place of ‘shilanyas’, the foundation stone that had been laid there in 1989 for construction of the Ram Temple.